Pre-Groundhog Day Sunset

Submitted by:
Beth Katz at Wed Feb 3 22:34:01 2010 UTC

Driving home past the fields of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, we
observed this gorgeous sunset. My daughter took several pictures with my
iPhone, so she gets the copyright. I'm sure there are groundhogs in
those field. The local one supposedly didn't see his shadow on February
2nd, but we had over three inches of snow on February 2-3. Photo taken
5:30pm EST on 1 February, 2010. Copyright (c) 2010 Helen Hutchens,
katz@cs.millersville.edu.

Additional Images by this Photographer:

Comet PanSTARRS 19 March 2013

Submitted by:
Beth Katz at Wed Mar 20 01:43:01 2013 UTC

Comet PanSTARRS "seen" from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania with an 8 second exposure (my camera's max).
We couldn't see it with 20x80 binoculars, but we weren't precisely sure where it was. It was windy, so this isn't a
great photo for the trees. Copyright (c) 2013 Beth Katz, katz@cs.millersville.edu. ........... Note about the image
gallery display on the front page. Pictures on the front page expire after 3 months. That's why there are empty
spaces. You can see them clicking on Gallery at the bottom of the box enclosing the photos on the front page.

Planets before dawn - 19 December 2012

Submitted by:
Beth Katz at Wed Dec 19 12:56:01 2012 UTC

I really wish we had some aurora photos here. :-( Mercury is low in the orange glow this morning just above the lower
left tree branch. Venus bright. Saturn up in the clouds. Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Copyright (c) 2012 Beth Katz,
katz@cs.millersville.edu.

Planets before dawn - 14 December 2012

Submitted by:
Beth Katz at Fri Dec 14 13:06:01 2012 UTC

Unexpectedly caught two interlopers from Libra in the photo although it's the planets that are wandering past the
stars. Starting lower left. Mercury low. Bright Venus. Then the two from Libra sort of sideways (one above Venus; one
in treetop). Saturn. Spica - α Virginis. The one in the tree is α Librae - Zubenelgenubi. The one above Venus is β
Librae - Zubeneschamali. Photo taken 14 December 2012 from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Copyright (c) 2012
Beth Katz, katz@cs.millersville.edu.

Planets before dawn - 11 December 2012

Submitted by:
Beth Katz at Wed Dec 12 14:05:01 2012 UTC

On December 11, 2012, the Moon was part of the scene from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Again we have Mercury
at lower left. Brighter Venus is near the Moon. Dim Saturn is above the tree in the clouds. Too many clouds Dec 10
and Dec 12 for comparison photos. Copyright (c) 2012 Beth Katz, katz@cs.millersville.edu.

Planets before dawn - 3 December 2012

Submitted by:
Beth Katz at Tue Dec 4 13:34:01 2012 UTC

Note how the planets change position over the course of a few days. No wonder the ancients called them wanderers.
Mercury at lower left, bright Venus, dimmer Saturn, and finally star Spica at upper right. From Lancaster County,
Pennsylvania about 6:15am 3 December 2012. Copyright (c) 2012 Beth Katz, katz@cs.millersville.edu.

Planets before dawn - 30 November 2012

Submitted by:
Beth Katz at Fri Nov 30 12:44:01 2012 UTC

Previous photo was taken dawn November 29 (not 27). This one before dawn November 30 shows Mercury at
lower left, then bright Venus, and fainter Saturn. This rearrangement continues for the next few days before
dawn and is visible worldwide. From Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Copyright (c) 2012 Beth Katz,
katz@cs.millersville.edu.

Planets before dawn - 27 November 2012

Submitted by:
Beth Katz at Thu Nov 29 15:30:01 2012 UTC

Mercury is nestled in the branches near center while bright Venus is higher. Saturn is about 1 o'clock above Venus.
The star Spica is high upper right. Planets are seeming to rearrange this week but will not appear lined up like
ornaments adorning the Egyptian pyramids. Photo 6:20 am EST on 27 November 2012 from Lancaster County,
Pennsylvania. 1 second exposure. ISO 400. Nikon Coolpix 4500. Some retouching to remove camera's bad pixels.
Copyright (c) 2012 Beth Katz, katz@cs.millersville.edu.

Venus Transit - 5 June 2012 - reflected pinhole

Submitted by:
Beth Katz at Wed Jun 6 21:08:01 2012 UTC

Venus transit on 5 June 2012 about 19:19 EDT from Lancaster County,
Pennsylvania. I used Hugh Hunt's reflected pinhole projection approach
(http://www2.eng.cam.ac.uk/~hemh/transit.htm) which I did not practice enough to get a good
hole size for the width of my house. The sunlight also was coming through a window and
screen. So it's blurry. I have extra dim sun images because I had three hole punches in the card
I taped to the mirror. Then I took the photo with my iPhone. Did other regulars here get
pictures? I used "venus transit" as my category keyword. Copyright (c) 2012 Beth Katz,
katz@cs.millersville.edu.

120 degree parhelion near local noon - 10 March 2012

Submitted by:
Beth Katz at Sun Mar 11 01:48:01 2012 UTC

120 degree parhelion near local noon. The arc was clearly parhelic around the zenith. I observed and
photographed the arc a bit wider, but in a few minutes it was gone. I'd never seen one so high in the
sky. From Easton, Pennsylvania around 11:30am on 10 March 2012. Camera: iPhone 3GS. Copyright (c)
2012 Beth Katz, katz@cs.millersville.edu.

Jupiter, Venus, and Moon - 25 February 2012

Submitted by:
Beth Katz at Mon Feb 27 01:25:01 2012 UTC

Jupiter, Venus, and Moon from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania around 6:15pm on 25 February 2012.
How did it look from your house? Copyright (c) 2012 Beth Katz, katz@cs.millersville.edu. I apologize for
the image problems. It may be an incompatibility with Mail on Mac OS X 10.7 Lion.

Venus and Moon before sunset - 25 February 2012

Submitted by:
Beth Katz at Mon Feb 27 01:01:01 2012 UTC

Moon and Venus (at 7:30 o'clock from Moon) from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania around 5:45pm on
25 February 2012. This was before sunset but very close. I was dodging clouds to get a picture. A plane
reflecting sunlight seems to be very near the Moon. Copyright (c) 2012 Beth Katz,
katz@cs.millersville.edu.

Multiple but brief arcs - 9 December 2011

Submitted by:
Beth Katz at Sat Dec 10 03:32:01 2011 UTC

Top to bottom: circumzenithal arc, 46 degree halo, upper tangent arc,
faint 22 degree halo. There was also a brilliant sun dog on the right
and part of the 46 degree halo on the left. The 46 degree halo
definitely was not touching the circumzenithal arc above it, so that
rules out the supralateral arc. These clouds were very fleeting, and I
didn't have time to run into the house and grab my better camera. So
these are from my iPhone 3GS. From Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
around 3:20pm on 9 December 2011. Sun about 11.5 degree altitude.
Copyright (c) 2011 Beth Katz, katz@cs.millersville.edu.

Corona on 31 August 2011

Submitted by:
Beth Katz at Fri Sep 2 19:30:01 2011 UTC

I really saw the colors shown here. They were brilliant yet fleeting. It
was hard to find something to block the sun. From Lancaster County,
Pennsylvania around 2:30pm on 31 August 2011. Copyright (c) 2011 Beth
Katz, katz@cs.millersville.edu.

Goodbye, Endeavour - 2011 May 30

Submitted by:
Beth Katz at Mon May 30 12:24:01 2011 UTC

Shuttle Endeavour separated from the International Space Station about 5
hours before this photo taken 30 May 2011 at about 4:50am from
Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Endeavour will retire at the end of this
mission. 8 second exposure, ISO 400. Copyright (c) 2011 Beth Katz,
katz@cs.millersville.edu.

Easter Sunday Rainbow 2011

Submitted by:
Beth Katz at Mon Apr 25 02:59:01 2011 UTC

The thunderstorms just clipped us at dinnertime on Easter Sunday, April
24, 2011. Light rain plus bright sunshine from a low enough sun equals
this rainbow over my house in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. I quickly
stitched together two images; you can see the seam and slightly
different exposure levels. Dogwood trees just starting to bloom.
Copyright (c) 2011 Beth Katz, katz@cs.millersville.edu.

Twisted ribbon contrail

Submitted by:
Beth Katz at Thu Feb 24 02:15:01 2011 UTC

It had been very windy, and this contrail was twisted like a ribbon.
Note the contrail shadows. Photo taken about 8:23 am EST on 20 February,
2011 from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Copyright (c) 2011 Beth Katz,
katz@cs.millersville.edu.

Sun Pillar and Wind Turbines - 3 January 2011

Submitted by:
Beth Katz at Wed Jan 5 01:44:01 2011 UTC

I was driving, but my son caught this sun pillar scene at sunset in
Lancaster County, Pennsylvania on 3 January 2011. My iPhone didn't
capture the top of the pillar. The sun is on the horizon, and there
really were bulges in pillar. Note two wind turbines on Turkey Hill at
far left. Copyright (c) 2011 Mark Hutchens, katz@cs.millersville.edu.

Mercury and Venus - 3 January 2011

Submitted by:
Beth Katz at Mon Jan 3 13:23:01 2011 UTC

Mercury is faintly at lower left while Venus shines high in the morning
sky. Mercury will be visible this week, but look an hour before sunrise.
I believe that's a contrail of a jet heading west below Venus. I checked
for satellites, and a meteor seems unlikely. Jets are making short
contrails this morning. Photo taken at 6:38 am EST on 3 January, 2011
from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. 2 second exposure. ISO 200. Nikon
Coolpix 4500. Copyright (c) 2011 Beth Katz, katz@cs.millersville.edu.

January Rainbow 2011

Submitted by:
Beth Katz at Sun Jan 2 15:47:01 2011 UTC

I seem to catch January rainbows. Even though it's winter, we get a few
breaks in the cold. (Click photo to see my gallery and the rainbow from
January 2010.) We saw both ends of this one briefly about 10am 2 January
2011 from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. May you have many such
pleasant surprises in 2011 with photogenic skies in the daytime, clear
skies at night, and enough solar activity to give us aurora after a very
long drought. Copyright (c) 2011 Beth Katz,katz@cs.millersville.edu.

ISS Wave - 2010 Dec 29

Submitted by:
Beth Katz at Wed Dec 29 23:32:01 2010 UTC

ISS Wave (http://www.isswave.org/) is a project to get people worldwide
outside to wave at the International Space Station this week - Dec,
24-31, 2010. That site has a realtime map based on structured tweets
containing #ISSwave. My family waved in twilight on 2010 Dec 29 at about
5:07pm from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. 2 second exposure, ISO 200.
Copyright (c) 2010 Beth Katz,katz@cs.millersville.edu.

Lunar eclipse on winter solstice - 21 Dec 2010

Submitted by:
Beth Katz at Tue Dec 21 21:19:02 2010 UTC

Dodged the clouds, wind, cold, and early morning hours to catch the
lunar eclipse on the winter solstice. I need a better camera (and
binoculars or telescope) to get more detailed and crisp pictures.
Copyright (c) 2010 Beth Katz, katz@cs.millersville.edu.

Sun Pillar at Sunrise - 2010 Dec 15

Submitted by:
Beth Katz at Thu Dec 16 15:10:01 2010 UTC

It was 20F, but I grabbed the camera and went out barefoot without a
jacket to catch this photo of a sun pillar at sunrise in Lancaster
County, Pennsylvania. Copyright (c) 2010 Beth Katz,
katz@cs.millersville.edu.

Venus Corona - 7 Dec 2010

Submitted by:
Beth Katz at Thu Dec 16 13:50:01 2010 UTC

My first Venus corona although I didn't see any colors visually. I
should have used ISO 400, a longer exposure, and zoomed in more. I
wasn't really awake yet. Photo taken about 6:10 am EST on 7 December,
2010 from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. 4 second exposure. ISO 200.
Nikon Coolpix 4500. Copyright (c) 2010 Beth Katz,
katz@cs.millersville.edu.

Circumhorizon Arc - 26 May 2010

Submitted by:
Beth Katz at Mon May 31 16:06:01 2010 UTC

I had never seen a circumhorizon arc, but conditions were right even
though the photos and appearance wasn't fantastic. I'm pretty sure it
was a circumhorizon. At one point I could see it further along the
horizon in other cirrus clouds, and noted it was flat. (Reference:
http://www.atoptics.co.uk/halo/cha2.htm) Photo taken about noon EDT on
26 May, 2010 from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Copyright (c) 2010
Beth Katz, katz@cs.millersville.edu.

Moon Halo and Mars

Submitted by:
Beth Katz at Sun Feb 28 04:01:01 2010 UTC

My daughter saw this full moon halo through the skylight while brushing
her teeth and thought I'd like to see it. That's Mars at upper right.
Photo taken about 10:30pm EST on 27 February, 2010 from Lancaster
County, Pennsylvania. The tree is a dawn redwood. 4 second exposure. ISO
200. Nikon Coolpix 4500. Copyright (c) 2010 Beth Katz,
katz@cs.millersville.edu.

January Rainbow - 25 January 2010

Submitted by:
Beth Katz at Tue Feb 2 04:25:01 2010 UTC

We've had wacky weather. It was 62F yesterday. The rain was moving off
when I glanced out the window. There was this bit of bright rainbow. In
January. It disappeared within a few minutes. The warm weather is
fading, too. Lancaster County, Pennsylvania about 2:45pm EST on 25
January, 2010. Copyright (c) 2010 Beth Katz, katz@cs.millersville.edu.
By the way, yes, the forum seems to be broken. I'm not sure what's being
done about it. I've reported it as best I can.